Classic Review: The Virgin Suicides (1999)

How great is it to see the breakout of a new filmmaker? People who absolutely love movies know exactly that feeling: that moment after finishing a film and being thrilled about witnessing a new voice, expressing itself through imagery. Many will surely be experiencing that feeling by the end of The Virgin Suicides.

Sofia Coppola got a rough start in the film industry: she’s part of the Coppola dynasty but was eviscerated following her performance in The Godfather Part III. Following that, she stepped back from the spotlight to give herself some time to understand who she was as an artist. The result was The Virgin Suicides and what a fantastic result that was. Meanwhile, the story of how the film came together is as good as the film itself: Coppola loved the book but had no intention of directing it. At the time, she was working as a visual artist, experimenting and trying out things to find her own voice. Coppola decided to slowly write a script as she went about her life. She heard the book was being adapted to a movie with a male director attached to it, and the only thing she wished was that he did the book justice. After learning that film lost the director, she stepped in and offered to direct. The producers accepted, leading to the film being made, serving as the perfect vehicle for her directorial debut.

The Virgin Suicides follows the Lisbon girls, 5 teenagers living in 70’s suburbia while highly controlled by their parents (Woods and Turner). The kids in the neighborhood are all fascinated by their beauty and their mystery, until the youngest sister, Cecilia (Hanna Hall) kills herself. The girls become the talk of the town, and everyone around them wants to understand what’s going on in their heads, including their parents. The boys in the neighborhood are especially obsessed with Lux (Dunst) the most seductive of the sisters. The family tries to move on with their lives after the tragedy, but it’s clear that the weight of that house is only getting heavier and heavier. There’s a lot going on here to the point where it’s kind of incredible that there’s so much happening for only 97 minutes of runtime.

The first thing that stands out it the visual style that Coppola imparts onto her story. That’s one of her trademarks, something that she has only improved in time. There’s a sophistication to her imagery, but it never really becomes the central element of her films. She creates very original and interesting frames that give us an unique understanding of the characters while creating an unusual connection to the story. Her style is so unique, so intimate, that it makes us feel that we are part of the narrative, it just pulls us in. A lot of these elements are very simple. from the little details in the framing, the set decoration, the music, the lighting. They all work together to create something truly magical. It’s impossible to resist.

That magic comes right at the beginning, taking us out of our comfort zone: this is not just your standard film. Even the title credits offer some foreshadowing of the story and offer insight into Coppola’s perspective: the different “virgin suicides” logos is a statement in and of itself. One cannot just put all these girls in the same mold; each one is a different person, they are way more than the object of the boys obsession. The title gives you a hint that there are various ways to read these characters, just as there are various ways to write the film’s names. You have to stop idealizing them and look at each one of them with you full attention to understand its details, its subtleties and characteristics. Coppola reinforces that statement with the introduction of the girls, each name written in a very specific way.

But with The Virgin Suicides, Coppola gives us way more than a visually interesting film. The depth that she achieved here is what makes it truly remarkable as she unsettles us in many ways right from the start. However, there is one element in the first sequence that stands out for how it takes viewers out of their comfort zone: the character of Cecilia. By the first moment we see her, it is clear that something is wrong. Hall does one hell of a job as Cecilia. Her pain is so clear you want to slap all the other characters in her family in the face. How can you not be seeing this? One of her lines is arguably the most powerful of the entire script: when the doctor tells her, in a condescending way, that she’s too young to know how bad life gets, she answers him right back, without hesitation: “obviously, doctor, you’ve never been a 13-year-old girl.” That line is not only for the doctor; it’s directed at the audience. Fasten your seatbelts.

There are two very distinct narratives happening within The Virgin Suicides: the first one is the story told by the boys’ POV. These beautiful, mysterious girls from their neighborhood, girls every boy fantasize about. These boys, very much young themselves, don’t see the full picture. And that’s where Coppola’s script truly shines as we are presented with the second narrative: what lies beyond the surface. These girls, in the end, are not mysterious at all: Lux, Cecilia, Bonnie (Chelse Swain), Mary (A.J. Cook) and Therese (Leslie Hayman) are deeply suffering in silence, trying to find a way to grasp just a bit of normalcy. They are trying to become who they truly are, despite the fact that their environment doesn’t allow them to even try. When we realize that they are all trapped in a bird box, it’s just heartbreaking to watch, especially because a lot of that is shown without words being uttered.

That is another quality in Coppola as a director: she doesn’t need words to show us what’s happening. The dialogue is great, but there is so much happening beyond words here, and those are the best parts. The silent moments of the movie are amazing, they demand you to pay attention to every single scene to figure out what’s really happening. This is when the cast truly shines, especially Dunst, a fantastic actress who has never given a bad performance in her long career, but who truly blossomed in every partnership with Coppola. She’s great as Marie Antoinette and is the best part of The Beguiled. But Lux is something else entirely.

Lux is the more sexually advanced of the sisters, and she exudes it in a lot of scenes. But what makes Dunst shine here is that she never becomes just a sex object. That’s what she is when we are seeing her through the boy’s POV. But every time Coppola shows her true self, it’s just so devastating to watch. In every scene, in every look or glance, there’s more going on, and Dunst’s eyes tells us so much more. Coppola doesn’t force our tears but seeing so much pain in Dunst’s eyes made me want to cry a few times. And in a way, even her sexual forwardness could be interpreted as a cry for help, not only for her, but for all the sisters. After all, if they are invisible, it’s impossible for anyone to notice what’s going on. If they can’t escape, maybe bringing people in, however it takes, is the way to save themselves. It’s a very mature performance by such a young actress (at the time). Dunst is the standout, but the entire cast is excellent, from Woods to Turner and the sisters to all the boys, including soon to be stars Josh Hartnett, Hayden Christensen and Jonathan Tucker.

If all of that wasn’t enough, The Virgin Suicides also manages to have a killer soundtrack. What a fantastic start to Sofia Coppola’s career.

still courtesy of film-grab.com

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